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Ham Radio Balloon to Commemorate Sputnik

The Secunda Amateur Radio Club will launch two balloons carrying amateur radio equipment from the Vryburg airstrip FAVB on October 4, 2014 at 0600 to 0800 CAT (0400-0600 UT).

This date marks the start of World Space Week 2014. They will commemorate the launch of the Sputnik satellite on October 4, 1957 by attaching an active model replica of Sputnik to one of the balloons. The replica will transmit a Morse code message on 144.076 MHz.

Please e-mail(christo.kriek@live.co.za) a screen print of the decoded message with date, time, GPS location, radio and antenna used to receive a special certificate from the launch team, if you are one of the lucky ones that can “decode” by ear please mail above info without the screen print. The transmitter used is a flea power transmitter.

The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and eight High Schools (80 children) form part of the program. Each school programmed their own data logger with 2 sensors. The 8 data loggers with sensors will be part of the payload of the balloon payload. Each of the school children had to write a Radio Amateur test (10 Questions) as part of their registration and the results will be used to allocated to their final presentation.

There will be a web link with cameras from the launch site atVryburg airport, one camera at Hartbeeshoek and one at Secunda High School. Please send your e-mail info to christo.kriek@live.co.za to get access to the webcams on the internet.

The first balloon will be launched anytime from 0600 CAT (0400 UT) onwards.

The ground stations will use HF on 3.650 MHz or 7.080 MHz or 20m 14.280 MHz between the ground control, chase cars, Secunda High School and Hartbeeshoek. The bands/frequencies may change due to propagation. If your hear the ground stations operate please keep the frequency clear for ground control operations. If you have any feedback in tracking the balloons specifically on descent please report it on the mentioned HF frequencies.

Due to the low APRS Digipeater and IGate density in the Vryburg area radio hams in the adjacent areas are requested to also help track the payloads as well.

It is vitally important to retrieve the payloads since there are data loggers on-board from several schools in the Secunda area. They need the data to complete their assignments.

A High Altitude Glider will also be launched the same morning as the High Altitude Balloon Experiment, HABEX on 4 October 2014.

On the same day at Secunda High School, Secunda, Unisa University will also have a ROBTICS exhibition. SANSA will also have a presentation via the webcam about GPS’s the same day.